Woudsend village (Wâldsein)

Woudsend (Frisian: Wâldsein) is a village in Wymbritseradiel municipality
in Fryslân province, with (1958) 1057; (1974) 1074 inhabitants. The
name means: end of the woods, referring to the "Friese Wouden".
In the 1950's there were four churches, one of which has become the famous
pub "It Ponkje", named after the collection bag. It is an important
sailing village, with a terrace filled with experts watching sailors passing
the low bridge. In the 18th century shipbuilding and wood-industry made
it a florishing village, and some stately houses were built then. In 1337
a Carmelite convent was founded here, which lasted till 1593.
Nickname: "Driuwpôllen" (floating tussocks, as found on
the Slotermeer and in the many canals around Woudsend), "Einekneppelers"
(duck-clubbers, put a duck in a barrel, throw clubs, and see Roordahuizum).
Formerly Woudsenders used "seines" (drag-nets) for fishing on
the Slotermeer and Hegermeer. A "seine" with lead-weights was lowered
into the water, with cork keeping it floating. The net's maximum length
was 250 meters and in the middle was a bag ("tsjoele"). It was slowly
pulled on land, after which the fish was taken out of the "tsjoele". A
monument has been made, which is shown in the village-center "De Driuwpôlle".
Since 1985 Woudsend has its own coat of arms, and the local tourist board has
made a special "wimpel" of it.
Coat of arms of the "vlecke" Woudsend: in black a golden fleur-de-lis, bended
cut of silver, charged dexter with a green cloverleaf and sinister a red
cross; the shield surmonté with a golden "vlecke-crown" of three
leaves and two pearls; the bandlet charged with three red lozengy stones
and two oval green stones.
Flag: white with two hoist triangles reaching into the fly; in the top
triangle a yellow lily.
The shield-division has been taken over from the Carmelites; the black
field reminds of the mountain Carmel on the
border between Israel and Lebanon. The clover is for the agricultural character
of the village, and the cross is the St. Michael's cross, as it occurs
on the coat of arms of Harlingen. The churches of
Harlingen, Berlikum, Anjum,
and Woudsend were devoted to St. Michael. The fleur-de-lis is from the
Wymbritseradiel municipal arms. The crown designates, that Woudsend was
considered to be a "vlek" - a settlement in size between town and city.
The flag is a design of the Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk - the design of
the coat of arms presented to possibility to make a flag where the *W* of Woudsend
was incorporated.
Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 1986Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.
This
webpage.
Jarig Bakker, 23 Sep 2003

The word "seine" might have been imported from France. All French
cruciverbists and the few remaining active fishers know that a "seine"
or "senne" is a drag-net. The word comes from Greek "sagene"
and has nothing to do with the rivers Seine (in Paris, from Latin "Sequana")
and Senne (in Brussels, from whatever Friesian pirate's word you want).
Ivan Sache, 23 Sep 2003

It might ... but it isn't. Seine already existed in old Frisian. The
theory is the word in all Germanic old languages stem from Latin Sagena,
from Greek Sagène (dragnet).
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 Sep 2003

In Dutch it's a "zegen", according to my etymological dictionary
with the derivation you give. However Frisian is a very ancient language
- and it may be possible that Pytheas of Marseilles borrowed the word from
us (without giving his sources of course). At High School we found several
Frisian words in Homer, like "koruake" (little basket), which is
of course the same as Frisian
"kuorke" (you know, like Little Red Ridinghood was carrying
to her grandmother).
I found an image in my dear old Friese Encyclopedie of 1958.
Furthermore we Frisians never, repeat never, produced any "pirates".
Greate Pier and Greate Wierd were honest farmers, treated badly by Hollanders,
Geldersen and Germans, and are considered as our greatest freedom-fighters,
when their wrath hit them foreigners.
Jarig Bakker, 24 Sep 2003